砖

• Pinyin: zhuān
• Hanzi breakdown: 砖 = 石 (stone) + 专 (phonetic)

Meaning

Brick. A rectangular block of clay used in construction.

The basic building material made from fired clay or concrete. Also used metaphorically in internet slang as 板砖 meaning harsh criticism. Appears in many common expressions related to construction and foundations.

Examples

1. 工人们正在搬砖盖房子。 The workers are moving bricks to build a house.
2. 这座古城墙是用青砖砌成的。 This ancient city wall was built with gray bricks.
3. 地上铺着红色的地砖。 The ground is paved with red floor tiles.

Usage Guide

Context: construction, daily life, internet slang

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 抛砖引玉，希望能激发大家的讨论。(I offer this humble opinion in hopes of inspiring discussion from others.)
• 他每天都在工地搬砖。(He carries bricks at the construction site every day.)

Don't Say

• 我砖了一下 — 砖 is a noun, not a verb; use 用砖砸 for hitting with brick

Origin & History

Pictophonetic: 石 (stone) + 专 (phonetic)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal